Reverse scramble part II by Frank Stwart (USA)

Source: IBPA Bulletin OCT 2022

Baron Barclay: Frank Stewart has been involved with bridge as a journalist, author, editor, competitor, and teacher. He is the creator of the popular “Daily Bridge Club” column. In a ‘reverse scramble’ golf format, a player must hit every shot twice – and play the worse of the two. Pars are rare, birdies rarer. I’ve sometimes wondered whether declarer could score extra points for making a contract, then having to make it again in a different way. This deal is a classic example of timing. I first saw it, or one like it, long ago in one of Don Von Elsner’s Jake Winkman novels Dealer South, N/S Vul

	A 9 4 A J 8 3 8 6 5 3 2 6
K J 7 2 4 K Q J 9 4 K J 7		10 8 6 5 10 7 Q 10 9 5 4 3 2
	Q 5 3 K Q 10 9 7 6 2 A A 8

West	North	East	South
			1
Dbl	41	5	6
Pass	Pass	Pass

1. Splinter in support of hearts West leads theK. South takes the ace and places West with the king of spades for his double. South gets to dummy three times with trumps to ruff diamonds. He takes the club ace, ruffs a club and leads dummy’s last diamond at the tenth trick, pitching a spade. West, who has had to keep king-jack-seven of spades and a diamond, wins and must lead a spade from his king. A trump lead breaks up that loser-on-loser endplay.

Can South still make the slam?

He can take the ace of diamonds, lead a trump to dummy, ruff a diamond, cash the ace of clubs, ruff a club and lead a diamond, pitching a spade to rectify the count. West wins and leads a diamond, and South ruffs and runs the trumps. Then the last trump squeezes West between spades and diamonds.

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